Thank you so much. I appreciate the support. I actually have no idea how to record and that mix is completely flat in terms of EQ (excluding a couple minor adjustments on the mixer that goes into my USB audio interface).

There is absolutely ZERO compression on that recording and thank you for noticing. Its kinda quiet, but thats because it gets kinda loud at the end.

I wish the MySpace music player was better so that the audio quality of the song was not further deterred. You really lose the body and bass of my guitar behind it.

Unfortunately, I had to resort to fake reverb, which for some can be a nightmare, but it was really the only way to get the airy, spacious, epic nature that I wanted to bring out in the song.

The bongos are the only instrument really recorded in stereo with one mic on panned hard to the left and another to the right. I'm slightly against drum machines and maps(although not entirely) and would rather just play what i have.

My all time favorite. EVERY time that I watch it I notice lots of things that I hadn't seen before. The first time that I saw it a friend the next day asked me what it was about and I said, "I haven't got a clue, but I know that it was great!" By the third viewing I felt like I had an idea.

"The Fisher King" is a really beautiful film. Very touching and emotional. Unbelievable performances by Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges. The scene in the New York subway is whimsical and surprising. The first time I saw it I thought, "Did I just see that?"

Terry Gilliam is a genius! Everything he does is a must see for me. This is all wildly off topic on my part and I don't care one bit.

Well the least I can do is get it back on topic. For all of you who are in NYC area, I will be having a show on August 10th at 9PM at the Sidewalk Cafe (Ave A and 6th st), in the heart of the East Village.

G.I. Dave is an aggressive acoustic suburban punk hippie proudly claiming heritage from White Plains. Jordan Levinson is a beautiful songstress with a sweet voice reminiscent of Emmylou. I've never heard MacGregor Burns live but his myspace material sounds very good. Nate Awesome is hearkens back to the mid-to-late 90s pop punk bands like Midtown, SR-71, and Millencolin except with an acoustic guitar, better melodies, and he's 6 foot 8", AWESOME! There's me, not quite sure what I am, calling myself Progressive Folk Rock? Following me is John Houx, a local star on the scene who's stripped down folk is both enticing and slightly haunting. Mr. Patrick is a fantastic storyteller who describes his various experiouses with the Dalai Lama and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Finally, one of my personal favorites, Benjamin Shepherd closes the evening with his button-down pocketed shirt tucked into his khaki pants and his arm around his little guitar (remind you of anyone?)

Cool Ariel, it's my favourite so far. It has a kind of 'rock opera' groove to it if you ask me, kind of Pink-Floyd-meets-Tommy. I think 'concept album' is way too modest! Hey, is that some teponatzli action going on in there?

Thanks for listening and enjoying! I've never actually heard Tommy but Pink Floyd is definitely very obviously there (i.e. Speak to Me/Breathe) as the intro to Dark Side.

The psychedelic noise at the end is really inspired by a song by Phish called "Demand" which results in absolute madness.

The next song "The M.F." is a psychedelic blues rocker, but with a lot of movements and song sections. You can get a feel from this video of my first performance of it about 2 and a half months back: The M.F. live

Hopefully, it will be recorded soon. I had a lot of fun with this one. I was talking with my friend Brian Speaker the other night about compressors, and he totally plugged them to me.

I am still hesitant, partly because of my work at Stereophile and learning about the damage that it does to the music, but also because dynamics are important and they keep the song exciting to the ears, and I feel removing this would eliminate the purpose of so much of the drama behind the songs (which many of them have, hey! its a saga of songs based on a warrior traveling through a dream on an island full of monsters, what do you expect? apathetic indie rock?!)

Quote:Don't hesitate to experiment with compression, just be certain to make any decisions with your ears - not based on the display or upon presets.

A little compression can help a rock/pop mix come together. Also consider whether there is a track or two that might benefit. For example, bass can often benefit from a little compression.

I have felt that this was the correct solution, I just haven't known the approach to take with it. There's no absolute with anything, and I'm sure the bass could use a little compression especially to lift its mid-bass section (the bass doesn't even come out my computer speakers but performs awesomely deep and impactful on my Ushers). I also haven't really learned how to use (or even open) the EQ functions on my recording software yet.

All I really know how to do are record, automate volume and pan settings, and maybe add effects (plus splitting tracks), but thats about it.

That said, I have really enjoyed listening to my recording on the hi-fi. It makes the whole process that much more redeeming.

Quote:Then leave it alone until the next day and compare your original and your new version. Pick the one that you like best and do not be afraid to start over again form scratch if you need to.

I wont be able to do this till next week, but I'll definitely try it out. I'm open to suggestions in terms of recording, and I'm happy to be surrounded by so many people who know so much. Right now, I'm just doing whats making sense: "put microphone in front of instrument/amp, make sure not in red, press record."

Bas is tough. We all want the impact and depth you get in real life and want it present on all systems. I find that if I make my recordings to sound good on the best system I have access to that they tend to sound at least decent on even computer speakers. Sound engineers will do a final check with little speakers to make sure nothing is fundamentally wrong, but don't mix or master to computer speakers or car speakers.

Compression of bass guitar helps even out the attack and volume of the notes. This can help the bass track sit more comfortably in the mix and not suddenly pop out and disappear.

Learning to record and mix is a long hard process - both science and art. You are doing a great job.

Don't fell bad when something you try bombs. I've made lots of bad recordings. The trick is to learn something from each of the bad ones.

Quote:Bas is tough. We all want the impact and depth you get in real life and want it present on all systems. I find that if I make my recordings to sound good on the best system I have access to that they tend to sound at least decent on even computer speakers. Sound engineers will do a final check with little speakers to make sure nothing is fundamentally wrong, but don't mix or master to computer speakers or car speakers.

I mixed this recording using my Sony MDR-V150, a $20 over ear set of cans that nearly every kid with an iPod owns these days. They don't sound great, but I found that they were unkind enough that I would have to work with my recording my make it sound alright in all situations. The previous track I recorded, "Marin (Hylian Love)," I used my Grados, and it came out a little too soft and quiet.

Quote:Compression of bass guitar helps even out the attack and volume of the notes. This can help the bass track sit more comfortably in the mix and not suddenly pop out and disappear.

Yep, definitely having this issue of it disappearing at parts.

Quote:Learning to record and mix is a long hard process - both science and art. You are doing a great job.

Thanks! and thank you for all the support and advice. Recording is an incredibly frustrating process at the onset, but once you lay down a couple tracks, stuff just starts to come together, and it becomes very exhilarating.

Last night around 1:30, I felt an intense urge to record. What happened was a "lo-fi" recording of the entire first part (2 Chapters, 6 Sections) of my concept work about The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening. Part 1, Chapter 2 now posted.

so another one of the bands which I play in just posted a few songs from our show this past Wednesday at the Sidewalk Cafe.

Mike Baglivi and the Open End is reminiscent of atomic war, the militaristic charges of Springsteen, the excesses of ELO and flourishes of Sinatra's ensemble. The band consists of vocalist and New Jersey prophet Mike Baglivi, myself on lead guitar, the progressive and wickedly wacky Gary Perkinson on bass, and my good friend Alex Pine on the drums, master of the open hi-hat. With our music, we're just searching for the universal code, the musical answer to everyone's questions, the binding force of melody and composition doesn't just create a song with a hook, but an event, an explosion, an apocalyptic ending to every night of your life!

My friend Brian Speaker is currently working on a songwriting project where he writes one song a day and posts each on his MySpace. As he's progressed, he has dabbled in different styles. Currently he is in a midst of a series of songs based on a man's dangerous descent to mars known as the Mars Chronicles.

He called me last night to be a character his series, as the command general informing the man's wife that everything is going to be fine.

Posted a'bunch'a songs on my MySpace. They include a new one "Deep Blue Lake," the second to last song in my series of songs about The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Here our hero ponders the pointlessness of his epic journey when he realizes it was all a dream (...an easy escape, you say?)--well just listen.

The "Rain of Blades" Suite features a sloppy but exciting performance by the first incarnation of my band Trickstar. The Suite features 3 sections: Walking, Rain of Blades, and the Victory Jig--resembling the game playing process: walking to the dungeon, facing a bunch of evil stuff and kicking ass, and then doing a little dance after winning.

Also posted is a cover of the song "Egg" by antifolk legend and godfather Lach, my 'country' number "When I Think of You" featuring my friends Alex Penman and Isaac Gillespie, another Zelda song "Within Range" about man's endless quest for money, and the studio i.e. my room version of "Song of the Windfish".

one of my bands, Swampluck, is playing a show this Saturday the 17th of January at the Sidewalk Cafe (94 Ave A and 6th St) at 9:00.

The recordings posted on the MySpace were done in an abandoned office in West Harlem. We set up a couple of directional AKG room mics in the center of the room and then 1 more mic for the vocals in the center channel. JA gave me all the info for the set-up, and I just followed.

The bass is a little low b/c we were missing an XLR to connect the amp DI'd into the mixer. All on one track. All live. All real. Zero compression or EQing cause I don't even know how to use that kinda of power yet. JA also instantly noted the near-wall reflections on the right side. Next time, we'll need a bigger office (or stage).

Sounds great. The balance is wonderful! It really shows how with recording many times less is more. It reminds me a lot of Cowboy Junkies-"Trinity Sessions" for a number of reasons:1. Female vocals with male harmony2. Rootsy Americana feel (Ya I know the Junkies are Canadian)3. Recording techniques ("Trinity Sessions" was recorded with one stereo mic straight into a DAT machine as was "Whites Off")

The female singer is reminiscent of Janis Joplin but with less gravel. The sonic captured sound like the room in the myspace photo album "Swampin In Harlem" looks like it would sound for the first four songs. Were the last two songs recorded in a different environment? Over my laptop's speakers they sound different. If you guys sell this on CD (or vinyl) mark me down for one.

"...an acoustic guitar played so hard that it rattled the walls, and a lucid, original voice that sailed over the whole thing, implanting melodic hooks deep in our brains and telling us stories of transcendence, neurosis, regret, and hope...A ONE MAN WAR ON HEAVEN." - Ben Godwin/Urban Folk Zine

Mike Baglivi and the Open End is looking for a new synth/keyboard master who lives in the NYC/NJ area. We just rented a practice space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for practices on Tues and Thurs night and Sunday afternoon. If you, or anyone you know, is willing to commit to a being in a badass band post here or send me an email at arielbitran1 (at) gmail . com, and I can send you a rough mix or two from the demo we're finishing up.